Rob Gronkowski: 'It's a dream come true'

FOXBORO — Despite carousing from Las Vegas to Boston and everywhere in between, Rob Gronkowski summed up his offseason in one word: boring.

"I was rehabbing every day," the Patriots' terrific and talented tight end said Friday. "I was miserable. Hopefully, that never happens again and I don't wish nothing on anyone like I had in the past few years."

The last few years have not been kind to Gronkowski from a professional standpoint. He has endured hip, forearm, hamstring, back, knee, and head injuries that have landed him on the injury report or injured reserve for 33 straight games dating to Week 4 of the 2012 season.

Gronkowski has only played in nine of the past 26 games. Last season ended in premature fashion after he tore the ACL and MCL in his right knee after absorbing a low blow from safety T.J. Ward in a 27-26 win over the Cleveland Browns on Dec. 8.

But when the Patriots opened training camp on Thursday, Gronkowski was out there with his teammates six months after undergoing reconstructive surgery and an exhausting rehabilitation process. It was more of the same Friday on the practice grounds at Gillette Stadium.

"It's feeling good out there running routes, getting balls thrown," Gronkowski said. "It's great to be out there with my teammates again, being in the huddle, catching balls from Tom Brady. It's a dream come true again. It feels like it got taken away and now I feel like I got it back, so it's awesome."

While back, the comeback is far from complete.

Gronkowski is not 100 percent healthy or, as he pointed out, he'd be taking part in all drills and not just some individual ones. The focus right now is on strengthening his right leg and improving his overall conditioning.

The Patriots will practice in pads today for the first time this summer, but Gronkowski won't absorb or dole out any contact. He indicated there's no timetable for when he will be a full participant in practice.

"Just taking it easy, taking a pace, gradually increasing every single day and improving every single day," Gronkowski said.

And it's evident his timing is off, which is to be expected after missing so much time.

Coach Bill Belichick, um, reminded Gronkowski he ran to the wrong spot during a route-running session with Brady on Friday. A bit later, Brady stared at Gronkowski after his throw went to the outside and the tight end turned inside. They immediately ran the play again and got it right.

Gronkowski pointed out he's preparing "to my max ability" to play in the season opener against the Dolphins in Miami on Sept. 7. He's "pretty sure" he won't have a fear of getting hit on his right knee again once he does return because of all the work he's done, and will do, since being operated on Jan. 9.

There has been some chatter Gronkowski is injury-prone, conveniently overlooking the fact the two-time Pro Bowler played in the first 46 games of his career. That has led to the thought the big guy has to change his physical approach to a violent game.

Think again.

"Nah, I ain't changing that one bit," Gronkowski said. "I'm going to go full speed when I'm out there and I'm going to keep smashing and dashing everything I do."

Gronkowski missed all of training camp and the preseason along with the first six regular-season games last year as he came back at his own glacial pace on the advice of family members and his own medical people after undergoing five operations (four forearm, one back) in a span of eight months.

Gronkowski claimed not to have felt pressured to be here at the start of camp this summer — his recovery is actually right on schedule — after having been absent last year. He also dismissed the lingering notion he and the team had differing views on his recovery process last year.

"I guess it seemed like that out there," Gronkowski said, "but in the organization we were all on the same page and this year we're all on the same page again. So it's going well and it feels just really good to out there with my teammates and give it all I got when I'm out there."

Gronkowski has 42 touchdown receptions in 50 career regular-season games, making him one of the most prodigious point producers in the NFL when he's on the field. He expects to "pick it right back up" upon his return, but that remains to be seen.

While players now routinely return to action within nine or 10 months after suffering an ACL injury, it usually takes a full season to regain their complete form. Two examples with ties to the Patriots are Wes Welker and Darrelle Revis.

Welker caught a team-record 123 passes before blowing out his knee in 2010. He played all 16 games the following season, but saw his production dip to 86 receptions. He pulled in 122 passes in 2012.

Revis, who signed here as a free agent in March, appeared in all 16 games with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last year after injuring his knee while playing for the New York Jets in 2012. But he pointed out Friday, all wasn't right.

"Coming off the ACL injury was tough for me," Revis said. "I finished all 16 games last year, but I still wasn't where I wanted to be physically as a player."